The Bobby Moore Fund – working together with Cancer Research UK to beat bowel cancer

Since 1993, the Bobby Moore Fund has funded 16 research fellows, dedicated to bowel cancer research. Here are brief descriptions of their work.

Current Bobby Moore Fellowships

Dr Kevin Monahan, Northern Institute for Cancer Research, University of Newcastle upon Tyne

Dr Monahan is searching for new genes that are involved in inherited cases of bowel cancer. It is thought that around a third of all bowel cancer cases are due to the inheritance of certain gene faults, yet we currently only know of a few of the genes responsible.

There are several rare inherited conditions linked to bowel cancer, including Familial Adenomatous Polyposis (FAP). People who have FAP develop large numbers of growths, called polyps, in the lining of their gut. While these don't usually cause problems, some can go on to develop into bowel cancer. As a result, people with FAP are very susceptible to the disease.

But a number of people who have a high risk of bowel cancer, don't carry the faulty genes linked to FAP or other known inherited bowel cancer syndromes. Dr Monahan is hunting for new genes that cause these other conditions.

Ms Megumi Takiguchi, University of Oxford

Megumi Takiguchi is studying an important protein called IGF1R, which is believed to be involved in the growth and spread of several types of cancer.

With support from the Bobby Moore Fund, Ms Takiguchi is investigating the role of IGF1R in bowel cancer. Understanding more about this protein will shed light on the biology of bowel cancer and could provide new leads for tackling this disease.

Dr Ashraf Ibrahim, Cancer Research UK Cambridge Research Institute

More than eight out of ten cases of bowel cancer could be successfully treated if caught early enough, yet relatively few cases are currently detected at this stage. The government is currently rolling out a new national screening programme for bowel cancer, which will help to pick up many more cases of the disease at an earlier stage. But it is vital that we continue to develop new and better screening tests. Dr Ibrahim is working to develop a test based on genetic changes found in bowel cancer cells.

As well as being damaged, genes can be switched on or off by being "tagged" through a process known as methylation. Dr Ibrahim is looking for differences in gene methylation patterns in bowel cancer. He is comparing these patterns in tumour samples from people with different stages of the disease, and in healthy people. Using this information, he hopes to develop a DNA test that can further improve the screening and early detection of bowel cancer.

Dr Victoria Coyle, The Queen's University of Belfast

Dr Coyle is working with bowel cancer expert Professor Paddy Johnston, tackling the challenge of drug resistance. There are now a number of drugs available to treat bowel cancer. But different drugs are more effective in some people than others.

Dr Coyle's Bobby Moore Fellowship is allowing her to identify different genetic patterns in bowel cancers that could be used to predict response to chemotherapy. This groundbreaking work could enable doctors to tailor treatment to a particular patient – helping them to treat people more effectively, as well as reducing side-effects..

Dr Paul Shaw, Cardiff University

With support from the Bobby Moore Fund, Dr Shaw is studying an exciting new treatment for bowel cancer called anti-EGFR therapy. This experimental treatment is still at an early stage of development.

Unfortunately, anti-EGFR therapy seems to be more effective in some people than others. Dr Shaw is aiming to discover the genes and molecules that are responsible for this difference. He will carry out lab experiments, as well as using data from patients who are having the therapy in a clinical trial.

The knowledge gained from this work could ultimately help doctors to ensure that anti-EGFR treatment is only given to people who will benefit from it. And the methods used to study this therapy could be applied more widely to other types of bowel cancer treatment.

Mr Ashraf Shazad, University of Oxford

Mr Shazad is a surgeon working on a new type of treatment for bowel cancer. His work is focusing on a protein molecule called CEA that is found on the surface of some bowel cancer cells. He is using an antibody (a special protein that recognises and sticks to other specific proteins) that can home in on CEA and target and kill the cancer cells. This approach could also provide a way to target other treatments specifically to bowel cancer cells.

During his Bobby Moore Fellowship, Mr Shazad is studying exactly how the CEA antibody sticks to bowel cancer cells and kills them. This research is still at an early stage. But it will help to lay the foundations for potential new bowel cancer treatments in the future that could save many lives.

Mr Aaron Quyn, University of Dundee

Mr Quyn is studying a protein known as APC, which is often faulty in bowel cancer. He is investigating the role that APC normally plays in the body, helping to control cell multiplication in the bowel. And he is also looking at what happens when APC is faulty in bowel cancer cells, which are multiplying out of control.

During the course of his Bobby Moore Fellowship, Mr Quyn, who is a surgeon, will be using a range of lab techniques to study bowel cancer cells in great detail. Through his research, we hope to understand more about APC's role in bowel cancer, which may pave the way for future treatments.

You can also view a list of our Past Fellowships